That's right. Here's what we're in for with Obama care:

Link to story

Oregon health plan covers assisted suicide, not drugs, for cancer patient

Eugene, Ore., Jun 6, 2008 / 01:09 am (CNA).- An Oregon woman suffering from lung cancer was notified by the state-run Oregon Health Plan that their policy would not cover her life-extending cancer drug, telling her the health plan would cover doctor-assisted suicide instead.

Barbara Wagener discovered her lung cancer had recurred last month, the Register-Guard said. Her oncologist prescribed a drug called Tarceva, which could slow the cancer growth and extend her life.

The Oregon Health Plan notified Wagner that it would not cover the drug, but it would cover palliative care, which it said included assisted suicide.

“Treatment of advanced cancer that is meant to prolong life, or change the course of this disease, is not a covered benefit of the Oregon Health Plan,” said the letter Wagner received from LIPA, the Eugene company that administers the Oregon Health Plan in Lane County.

“I think it’s messed up,” Wagner said. She said she was particularly upset because the letter said doctor-assisted suicide would be covered.

“To say to someone, we’ll pay for you to die, but not pay for you to live, it’s cruel,” she said. “I get angry. Who do they think they are?”

A doctor appealed to Genentech, the company that markets Tarceva in the U.S., to cover Wagner’s medication. On Monday Wagner was told the company would cover the drug treatment for a year, after which she could re-apply for the drug.

“I am just so thrilled,” Wagner said. “I am so relieved and so happy.”

According to the Register-Guard, Oregon oncologists say they have seen a change in state health policy, saying their Oregon Health Plan patients with advanced cancer are no longer covered for chemotherapy if it is considered comfort care.

“It doesn’t adhere to the standards of care set out in the oncology community,” said Dr. John Caton, an oncologist at Willamette Valley Cancer Center. He said many studies have found that chemotherapy in a palliative setting decreases pain and time spent in the hospital and increases quality of life.

Officials of LIPA and the state Health Services Commission, which sets policy for the Oregon Health Plan, say they have not changed their coverage of recurrent cancer patients, but have only clarified the rules.

Isolated Incident (is what the healthcare advocates will say)

Another isolated incident!

Oregon Tells Patients State Will Pay for Assisted Suicide, Not Health Care

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 30, 2008

Salem, OR (LifeNews.com) –– It's happened again –– another Oregon resident has heard form state officials that it will happily pay for an assisted suicide but will not pay for the medical treatment he needs. For the second time in just over the last month, a patient has said the state health insurance plan has promoted death over medical care.

Randy Stroup is a 53-year-old Dexter, Oregon resident who faces a troubling bout of prostate cancer.

As an uninsured resident with a need for expensive chemotherapy he applied to the Oregon health insurance plan for help.

Lane Individual Practice Association administers the Oregon Health Plan in Stroup's county and they responded to his request with a letter saying the state would not cover the treatment but would pay for an assisted suicide.
"It dropped my chin to the floor," Stroup told FOX News. "[How could they] not pay for medication that would help my life, and yet offer to pay to end my life?"

The letter has been sent to other terminal patients in the state and it follows state legislative guidelines saying the state will not cover life-prolonging treatment unless there is a better than five percent chance the patient will live for five or more years.

Dr. John Sattenspiel, LIPA's senior medical director, defended the practice of promoting assisted suicide in comments to Fox News.

"I have had patients who would consider knowing that this is part of that range of comfort care or palliative care services that are still available to them, they would be comforted by that," Sattenspiel said. "It really depends on the individual patient."

But Dr. William Toffler, a professor of family medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, disagrees.

"It's chilling when you think about it," he told Fox News. It absolutely conveys to the patient that continued living isn't worthwhile. It corrupts the consistent medical ethic that has been in place for 2,000 years."

California-based attorney and author Wesley J. Smith agrees that the Oregon system is hypocritical.

"And now the oozing compassion of assisted suicide is revealed to all. And the same agenda is at the root of Futile Care Theory. When life gets tough, it is time for the ill to get going onto whatever comes next," he explained.

If you read the Obama Healthcare bill..... crap like this is in it....

Whats the relation between the Oregon Plan and the Obama Healthcare Plan? Your article doesnt make one.

And insurence companies refusing treatment is far more common for HMOs, and if you dont believe me on that one wait until you need $500000 worth of surgury. Lets see your AETNA come riding to your rescue. I wont hold my breath. They give your a proscription for Advil and direct you to a good Funeral home.

I support Assisted Suicide. So I think its good. I'd rather die with dignity than have to be forced to endure unimaginable suffering because a bunch of crazies whom I dont even know think that assisted suicide is against their religious beliefs. Screw their religious beliefs, I dont need a bunch of looney tunes telling me how to run my life. If they werent here for the beginning and middle of my life, what makes them think I need them for the end of it?

And if the governement is willing to help with the Bills, I support that too.

Originally Posted by mmarsh

Actually I support Assisted Suicide. So I think its good. I'd rather die with dignity than have to be forced to endure unimaginable suffering because a bunch of crazies whom I dont even know think that assisted suicide is against their religious beliefs. Screw their religious beliefs.

And if the governement is willing to help with the Bills, I support that too.

But you want choice...... the State of Oregon and Obama Healthcare doesn't give you that option.... all they give you is the bullet.

You want to off yourself instead of receive medical care.... fine by me. YOUR CHOICE. But the STATE DOESN'T WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT CHOICE. THEY ONLY GIVE YOU THE BULLET.

This is what happens when you allow the State to choose for you. I want my choice. That choice is medical care.... but the State is removing that option from me and simply forcing me to take the bullet.

I should have the choice.... not be forced to take the bullet/pill/injection/etc....

The UK already does that. Says that you have no value to society. Go Fk off and die..... Canada does it also. Oregon and Obama Healthcare just removes the FOAD part and simply kills me..... Thanks but no thanks. I'm not some piece of machinary or property of the state in which it can decide what is right for me.

What's next? Soylnet Green and this?

Actually no.

What I want is affordable 100% healthcare available to all, which is what I dont have in the US right now. I could give a damn about choice. What matters most to me is that I can go into a hospital for care and not have to declare bankruptcy afterwords.

Since I know it wont be private industry that will be doing it (I am done with HMOs) I look for a government plan.

Originally Posted by mmarsh

Actually no.

What I want is affordable 100% healthcare available to all, which is what I dont have in the US right now. I could give a damn about choice. What matters most to me is that I can go into a hospital for care and not have to declare bankruptcy afterwords.

Since I know it wont be private industry that will be doing it (I am done with HMOs) I look for a government plan.

That would be nice, but it isn't reality. Daschael was brazen enough to put it in his book, the others aren't. It's all about govt power & control. Buy votes from the young by shafting the older ones. New issue of Air Force Times..Airman went in for gall bladder operation @ Travis AFB, came out with no legs. Now AF wants to boot him for having no legs. Govt health care.

Originally Posted by George

That would be nice, but it isn't reality. Daschael was brazen enough to put it in his book, the others aren't. It's all about govt power & control. Buy votes from the young by shafting the older ones. New issue of Air Force Times..Airman went in for gall bladder operation @ Travis AFB, came out with no legs. Now AF wants to boot him for having no legs. Govt health care.

I dont accept that.

They have it in other countries, I am sitting in one that has it, and it works well. They have it countries that are even larger than the USA like in Canada. You cannot tell me that what works elsewhere cannot work back at home.

like everything else in America, This is about MONEY, nothing else. As I said in the previous thread, only the Managed Healthcare Industry wants this to fail and they are going to try hook or by crook to sink it.

Originally Posted by mmarsh

I dont accept that.

They have it in other countries, I am sitting in one that has it, and it works well. They have it countries that are even larger than the USA like in Canada. You cannot tell me that what works elsewhere cannot work back at home.

like everything else in America, This is about MONEY, nothing else. As I said in the previous thread, only the Managed Healthcare Industry wants this to fail and they are going to try hook or by crook to sink it.

Canada is bigger than the US? only in acreage, 10% of population. Lower cost of health care by rationing. Isn't there a song about Liberals & thier view of Utopia?hmmm Oh, yeah, "Blinded by the light". The Libs have slowly been undermining health care with the expectation that eventually people will throw up their hands & call for the Govt to straighten out the mess that Govt made behind the scenes. No different when the Libs were pushing HMOs as the dream cure to health care.

Originally Posted by George

Canada is bigger than the US? only in acreage, 10% of population. Lower cost of health care by rationing. Isn't there a song about Liberals & thier view of Utopia?hmmm Oh, yeah, "Blinded by the light". The Libs have slowly been undermining health care with the expectation that eventually people will throw up their hands & call for the Govt to straighten out the mess that Govt made behind the scenes. No different when the Libs were pushing HMOs as the dream cure to health care.

You missed the point, despite its smaller population (33 Million isnt tiny by the way) its far harder to administer a country who people are spread out over a large tract of land. You are also neglected that our economy is so vast we could easily incorporate a Universal Healthcare System despite the population.

Libs are undermining health-care? I'd like to here proof on that. Last time I checked it was Greed that was undermining heathcare, or perhaps you think its normal for a 26 year old healthy non-smoker to be paying $80 a month in premiums like I was in 1998. I couldn't even guess what I'd be paying now. But go ahead and keep agreeing to getting swindled, I am sure the HMO's will love you for it.

At least Clinton, Kerry, and Obama have tried to do something. What exactly have the conservatives done on the issue? Oh thats right, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Not only have they done nothing on Healthcare to be fighting tooth and nail against trying to help ordinary Americans get it which again might explain why their popularity is lower than stomach flu right now.

The fact of the matter is the countries that have the best healthcare (as rated by the WHO) are those that have a socialized medicine system.

1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html

America is Number #37 on that list. That's nothing to be bragging about. Another sobering fact is we have 47 Million people with no Health-care at all.

And yet folks from the 1o come to the USA for treatment....

Originally Posted by 5.56X45mm

And yet folks from the 1o come to the USA for treatment....

Bingo! You'd think a Nation of 300 million could afford easily MediCare & Social Security, buy they are going bankrupt. Best intentions don't always cut it.